Target acquired

On Feb. 9, when the U.S. Defense and Security Cooperating Agency announced the State Department had approved the Republic of Singapore’s request to purchase U.S. precision-guided air-toground munitions kits and other equipment, people in Fort Smith had reason to smile.

OK, we get it: Arkansans may not be deeply engaged on what’s happening with the military on an island nation of about 5.6 million people south of Malaysia (from which it split in 1965, just two years after the end of British colonial rule). Arkansas is about 190 times the size of Singapore. The republic, if moved into the (479) area code, would basically fit between Fort Smith and Altus one direction and Mulberry and Booneville the other. It’s 9,600 miles away from downtown Fort Smith.

Still, the recent announcement provided a clue as to why a military sale on the other side of the world is reason for excitement in the Natural State. Deep in an Australian military press story about the transaction, for example, a reporter explained that several of Singapore’s jets (F-35s and F-16s) will be housed for training at Ebbing Air National Guard Base in Fort Smith.

Arkansans may be familiar with Ebbing as the home of the 188th “Flying Razorbacks” Wing of the Arkansas Air National Guard, which specializes in remotely piloted aircraft for military reconnaissance, surveillance and intelligence. Ebbing is an airfield adjacent to the Fort Smith Regional Airport, with which it shares runways.

It was back in 2020 when the secretary of the Air Force decided to establishing a permanent location for a foreign sales military pilot training center for F-35s as well as a U.S. training base for Singapore’s F-16s. Singapore is such a small nation, there’s little air space where training can happen. Here in middle America, there’s all sorts of air space, including the Air National Guard’s Shirley Military Air Operations Area over portions of the Ozark National Forest and its Hog MOA extending south of Fort Smith into the Ouachitas.

Now, we’re sure our military friends, sticklers for details that they are (thankfully), might point out that Ebbing isn’t yet the official site for the foreign sales military training center. The Air Force is in a countdown of a 30-day waiting period,

triggered after the filing of an environmental impact statement, before any record of decision can be signed. Technically speaking, Ebbing is the preferred location and Selfridge Air National Guard Base in Michigan is the back up, should there be some unexpected wrinkle in the plans for Ebbing.

It’s likely Fort Smith and Arkansas are just days away from the Air Force making its official decision, likely to come after March 7. And the decision won’t just create a spot for Singapore’s training; Poland and Finland are countries expected to send their pilots for training on the U.S.-made F-35s.

That existing airspace where military jets can fly high overhead is a big factor in the Air Force decision. The Arkansas Air National Guard has described it as the largest military operations area in middle America. And many residents may not know about Razorback Range, a 1,000-acre property on Fort Chaffee where pilots and others have practice the art of destroying things. The air-to-ground gunnery range, which has been in operation since 1974, features dozens of structures and targets set up to give U.S. pilots and now, if everything goes according to plan, foreign pilots a place to sharpen their vital skills.

The last A-10C Thunderbolt II “Warthog” that was formerly a part of the 188th’s mission departed Ebbing in 2014, leaving the unit’s mission focused on the remotely controlled devices. Arkansas, though, embraces every connection it can make with the U.S. military. Reviving pilot training at Ebbing will be a thrill, and not just because it’s exciting to have fighter jets zipping around parts of the state reminding us of the never-ending work necessary to defend this nation and its allies.

The thrill will also be economic. The military will spend millions on new and expanded facilities at Ebbing, including flight simulators on the ground.

The base will see civilian and military work forces of up to 384 people, many of whom will move to Fort Smith and the surrounding area with their families.

State and local leaders have rolled out the red carpet, eager to build upon Arkansas’ existing connections in meeting the needs of the military. It’s part patriotism and part economic development. With the new personnel and visitors, officials predict an economic impact in the hundreds of

millions.

Fort Smith, Sebastian County and the state of Arkansas put their money where their mouths are, too. Adding 1,300 feet to the runway at Ebbing would strengthen the base’s use for jets, so then-Gov. Asa Hutchinson announce the state would commit $17 million to extend it. The Fort Smith Board of Directors followed suit with $5 million, then last August the Quorum Court in Sebastian County ponied up $1.8 million for the project.

Fort Smith and Sebastian County, along with the rest of Arkansas, all appear to

be united and excited to become the host to such an important military facility, and who can blame them? Arkansas’ history of support for the military runs deep and the benefits to the state are strong.

Military officials said once the final decision is made, F-16s could start arriving at Ebbing this summer, with the first F-35s set to show up sometime in 2024.

New neighbors, new mission and new jets. There’s a lot to be excited about, and Arkansas’ message to the Air Force is simple: We’re ready.